Lost Little Brother
by mmooch
Summary: Mistaken identity as a baby was the cause of all Xander's pain in the Harris family. WARNING: Mentions of child abuse in chapter 1, both physical and verbal in nature.
1. Prologue: Learning a Secret

**Lost Little Brother**

Summary: Mistaken identity as a baby was the cause of all Xander's pain in the Harris family. WARNING: **Mentions of child abuse in chapter 1, both physical and verbal in nature.**

Timeline: pre-series for BtVS; anytime before season 3 for CSI: Miami.

Challenge: #1718 'Xander: the lost and found' by marshalos.

A/N: For now, it will be more in the CSI fandom than the BtVS. Who knows if that will change or not. The title is a play on the CSI episode when Speed died – which I hope to avoid this time.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. CSI: Miami characters belong to Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue and CBS. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Prologue: Learning a Secret**

It was dumb luck that they ever found out. Then again, luck seemed to follow Xander Harris around like a stray dog. _Usually_ it was bad luck; this time they weren't sure…but it couldn't be worse than the luck he currently had.

* * *

_**14 years earlier…**_

After all the trouble Rory Harris went through to kidnap a child so he could ransom the baby back to the parents, and he found out he grabbed the wrong one. Maybe he shouldn't have been drunk when he made the snatch. Instead of getting Baby boy Spegiel, heir to the Spegiel fortune, he got Baby boy _Speedle_, son of an average set of parents with one older child, Timothy.

But it wasn't as if he could give the kid back now, could he? Oh well, plan B. His brother, Tony said he wanted a kid, but didn't want his wife to lose her figure by giving birth. It was about time for him to leave the East Coast anyway. He owed money to too many of the wrong people. Sunnydale sounded like a good place to start over.

"Alright, little guy. I'm gonna be your Uncle Rory from now on. Let's go introduce you to your folks," Rory said to the baby staring up at him. Something in the child's eyes was a little disconcerting to the kidnapper; it was as if he could stare into his soul and see the badness there.

Shaking it off, he grabbed the kid and got into his trusty '57 Chevy Bel Air, more than ready to get out of town.

* * *

**Present time…**

Willow never thought she'd be grateful to Tony Harris for being abusive to her best friend. But if he hadn't broken Xander's wrist, who knows how long it would have taken them to find out he had leukemia? If they could find a donor pretty quickly, Xander would have a darn good chance at survival.

And his chances were even better now that Tony and Jessica Harris were guests of the California penal system. Neither she nor Jesse were surprised to find out about Tony's abuse, or the fact that Jessica inflicted her own – although hers was mostly verbal.

Xander had broken down in tears as he described what his parents did to him. For some reason, it had gotten worse over the past few months. No matter what his best friends and the officials said to him, he couldn't help but feel ashamed and a little responsible – though he couldn't figure out how he could have avoided it.

* * *

Dr. Fletcher flipped open his patient's chart, more for something to do rather than an actual need to read anything inside. "Well, Xander, the good news is that we found a match on the national marrow database. We've contacted the individual, and he's willing to come out here to donate," he remarked in a cheerful tone, hoping to avoid the bad news until the donor got there.

A hope that was soon to be dashed by the young man's question, "What's the catch?"

"The match is too close to be a coincidence." When Xander didn't say anything, Dr. Fletcher continued, "We did some further tests on the blood samples, and it appears that he is your biological brother."

Floored by the news that he had a big brother, Xander asked the only thing he could think of, "What's his name?" What he couldn't ask was how did his brother escape Tony and Jessica, and why didn't his brother take him when he escaped?

Guessing some of the thoughts racing through the boy's mind, the doctor thought it was important to share as much information as he could. "Timothy Speedle. He believes that you are his brother who was kidnapped as a baby almost fifteen years ago."

That answered Xander's other questions. Now he only had one left: how did he end up in the Harris family?

* * *

**TBC…**


	2. Chapter 1: Making Plans

**Chapter 1: Making Plans**

A/N: Let's use the CSI timeline for this. Even though it's a year before Buffy shows up in Sunnydale, it's 2002 (season 1 of CSI: Miami).

Challenge: #1718 'Xander: the lost and found' by marshalos.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. CSI: Miami characters belong to Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue and CBS. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

**Speed's apartment**

Absently hanging up the phone, Speed's mind was in a daze. His brother was alive! He was alive and needed a bone marrow transplant to save his life! The people his brother thought were his parents for the last 14 years had been abusing him for months, possibly longer!

Strangely enough, it was that last thought that snapped Speed out of his daze. He started calculating how he could kill them without leaving any evidence for his team to find. The Perfect Crime was a myth; there was always something for the investigators to discover. And his motive was way too apparent to hide. He would be the obvious suspect if something happened to them. Didn't stop him from fantasizing about it though.

His brother was alive, and that's all that mattered.

He'd go to Sunnydale, California, donate whatever the doctors told him to, and then bring…what was his name again? Xander? Must be short for something. Bring _Xander_ back to Miami with him. God, his parents would have been so happy to find out that their baby wasn't dead. His heart broke when he thought about them dying in that car accident, not knowing what happened to Michael Isaac – the name they chose for him, despite not being able to put it on anything but his birth certificate. Michael, for Xander and Tim's dad; Isaac for their mom's dad.

Right then and there, Speed made a silent vow to his parents that he would take care of his little brother. No matter what it took. He'd help wipe away the bad memories he must have of his childhood up until now, and make sure he was somebody they would be proud to call son.

First things first, he'd have to get some time off of work. That meant a call to Horatio. "Hey, H? I have a family emergency and need to take some time off. I'm not sure, but probably at least two to three weeks," he rambled as soon as his boss answered the phone.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Horatio asked in that concerned way he naturally exuded. The one that said he meant every word he spoke.

"Not right now," Speed answered. "When I get back, I'll have somebody to take care of, so I might have to make some changes in my work schedule." He took a deep breath to calm himself, then added, "Michael Isaac is alive." He knew that Horatio would understand who that was; they had discussed it a few times in the past – especially when a child abduction hit too close to home for Tim.

Speed could almost hear Horatio smile, knowing his boss would be thrilled for him. He also guessed that H would know that he wasn't just worried about assuming guardianship of his brother. "If you need anything…_anything_, don't hesitate to ask. Day or night!" he insisted, the tone making it clear that it was a genuine offer; one that H would be offended if Speed didn't accept.

"Thanks, H. I may have to take you up on that," Speed said.

**

* * *

**

Hours later…

As the plane made its way across the country, Speed started making plans. He'd have to find a new place to live, preferably near a good school. Alexx might be able to help him with that. He trusted her judgment, and she was a great mom. Okay, so her kids were a bit younger than Xander, but she still would know what to look for.

He'd also have to get a car. Or at least another helmet for his bike. A car would be better though…safer. It was one thing to ride a motorcycle himself, but he didn't want to risk his baby brother's life too – especially with all that he'd been through lately.

Xander's 15th birthday was coming up soon; did he have the same one? Probably not. The people who kidnapped him either wouldn't have known the exact date, or they would have changed it to throw off the police. Guess that was one thing to ask when he talked to his brother. Speed smiled. It would take a long time for that to get old…his brother.

Logically, he knew that Xander would have friends who would miss him when he moved to Miami. Or at least he hoped he did. _'Think positively!'_ he told himself. _'Somebody __**had**__ to care about him.'_ He'd have to come up with a way for them to stay in contact. Maybe calling cards? Email was always a good choice. Hell, he'd even spring for a couple pre-paid cell phones. The important thing was to make the transition as easy for Xander as possible.

That reminded him, he'd have to find a good oncologist for Xander's follow-up care. Another question for Alexx. Good thing she was the team mother hen; she wouldn't mind all the help Speed was asking for. She'd probably be upset if he didn't ask her to help.

He'd ask Xander if there was anything from the Harrises that he wanted to keep. Otherwise, he'd dip into his savings and go on a massive shopping spree to get everything new for his brother. Personally, Speed would rather burn everything those abusers ever gave him. Those things would only be reminders of the crappy live he had in Sunnydale with them. Calleigh would probably help shop for new clothes and stuff, right? Or maybe Eric; he was kind of a clothes-horse.

Once the medical stuff was taken care of, Speed would go to the school and get Xander's school records ready for transfer. That would actually be after he went to the police and see what was going on with the Harrises. Whether they could explain how they ended up with a kidnapped child. Depending on their answer, he'd start adjusting his fantasies about their disappearance.

* * *

**TBC…**


	3. Chapter 2: Reunited

**Chapter 2: Reunited**

A/N: Thanks for all the kind reviews and tracking notices so far. I may keep the chapters about this length so that I can update on a more frequent basis. That said, please don't expect daily updates. Other stories and real life things will distract me.

Challenge: #1718 'Xander: the lost and found' by marshalos.

Thanks to my beta: LadySybyl.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. CSI: Miami characters belong to Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue and CBS. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

**Sunnydale**

Looking around as he stepped out of the airport, Speed saw a normal, small town. Maybe about 40,000 people? Practically the boondocks after living in a city like Miami. He hoped the change of pace wouldn't be too hard on Xander. Guess it goes to show that no matter how small the setting, as long as there are two or more people, crime can happen anywhere. The important thing was to get his brother away from here…away from the people who had done this to him.

And that meant he needed to get a cab to the hospital. He'd worry about a hotel after he met his brother for the first time in over 14 years. Should he pick up a present first? What would a Californian teenage boy like? Well, like that Speed would feel comfortable getting for him. It would be one thing for him to buy Xander a Playboy if their parents were still alive, but when he was going to be Xander's guardian…it might set the wrong tone for their relationship.

Okay, so what were some of the things he liked 10 years ago when he was Xander's age? Trading cards? Kind of risky if you didn't know what sport. Junk food? The hospital wouldn't like that, and considering how sick Xander was, it wouldn't be a good idea to jeopardize his health further. Naked women was already ruled out, but maybe…comic books? Same danger as trading cards though. Oh well, he'd just have to go in there empty-handed the first time, and make up for it later.

"Sunnydale Memorial," he told the driver, pulling out his cell to turn it on and check his messages. H must have told the rest of the team why he was taking time. He knew that he should be upset with H for breaking his confidence, but more importantly, he knew he'd need their help in this. H actually did him a favor by giving them the head's up for him. Now they wouldn't see how emotional he was about it. That was his thing on the team; he was the stoic one who never showed how he felt.

He smirked as he listened to the messages. All of the plans he came up with on the plane, all the favors he was going to ask…now he wouldn't have to. Alexx was already putting together a list of two-bedroom apartments and homes near good public high schools; plus she was calling her doctor friends for somebody to give them a second opinion on Xander's condition. Calleigh and Delko each offered to help shop for clothes and furniture when they got back. And Speed knew H wasn't just sitting back; whatever his boss was doing, he was doing quietly and behind the scenes.

The driver's voice knocked him out of his musings, "We're here, pal. That'll be eight-fifty." Speed checked the meter, handed him a ten, told him to keep the change and got out of the cab.

His chest felt a little tight. His baby brother…after all these years. He took a deep breath and stepped forward. As he got to the door, Speed saw a young redhead rushing up to the hospital as well. She was babbling to the tall boy next to her. He held the door for them, and as they passed, he caught Xander's name.

"Xander said that the doctor told him he has a brother. He thinks his parents kidnapped him or something. He can't understand why though; it's obvious they never wanted him. You think maybe they were hoping for a ransom demand, and when it wasn't paid, they decided to keep him?" she asked. Speed was sure the whole thing was one long sentence without any breaks for air. She'd make a great diver – if what Delko said about their lung capacity was true.

The boy with her shook his head, "Nah. They probably would have just dropped him off at an orphanage if that was the case. Who knows what they were like 15 years ago; maybe they were actually decent humans back then."

"Well, all I know is that this mystery brother better be good to him or I'll-I'll…okay, I don't know what I'll do, but it will be bad…and-and painful. Really, really painful!" Willow threatened, making Speed actually smile. His kid brother had good friends.

"That won't be necessary," he said, making both teens jump in surprise. "Didn't mean to startle you, but I heard you mention my brother's name. My name's Tim Speedle, but my friends call me Speed."

"I'm Jesse, and this is Willow," Jesse remarked when Willow didn't say anything. She was too busy trying to work out if she should be embarrassed for threatening the guy, or if she should tell him she meant it.

Speed stood there as she stared into his eyes, almost like she were searching his soul. Apparently she must have found what she was looking for because the smile she gave him was almost blinding. She grabbed his hand and began dragging him through the hospital towards Xander's room.

**

* * *

**

Xander's room

Xander looked away from the TV. People actually got addicted to these soap operas? They were basically the same thing over and over. On the other hand, he was starting to recognize the different characters, and who they were related to or sleeping with. That wasn't good, was it?

"Jesse! Willow! You've come to rescue me from the scary land of daytime television!" he greeted enthusiastically. "Pull up a Jell-O cup." Then he saw the guy with them and asked, "Who's he? Another social worker coming to tell me that Tony isn't going to get the chance to hurt me again?"

Before Speed could introduce himself, Willow started chattering at that super-speed she must use on a regular basis – if the boys' lack of surprise was anything to go by, "This is your brother, Tim Speedle…Speed, and he's a good guy; he has your eyes, Xander! Or, I guess it would be the other way around since you're younger, but they're the same as your eyes! The ones I saw when you rescued me from Cordelia in kindergarten! That means he's a good guy! He won't ever hurt you on purpose! He'll go to he- heck and back to protect you! _He's a good guy!_" she almost shouted at the end.

Jesse just started snickering, and Xander glared at him. "Did you give her Coke or Pepsi? Anything with caffeine? You know the rules, Jess. That's right up there with 'Cordelia is evil.'"

"I didn't do anything," Jesse denied, holding up his hands defensively. "I think she's just excited about your brother being a good guy."

"Yeah, so she said…three times." Xander smiled indulgently at his best friend, who looked like she was going to start bouncing hard enough to make Tigger jealous. Then he turned back to his…brother – wow, how strange was it to say that, even in his mind – and said, "Hi, I'm Xander, in case you couldn't guess."

* * *

**TBC…**


	4. Chapter 3: Leaving Sunnydale

**Chapter 3: Leaving Sunnydale**

A/N: In honor of getting my 4500th review on TtH (the person reviewed this story), I thought I'd take a break from my other fics and update this one. Fortunately, Musie cooperated.

Challenge: #1718 'Xander: the lost and found' by marshalos.

Thanks to my beta: LadySybyl.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. CSI: Miami characters belong to Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue and CBS. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

**Xander's hospital room**

It took a while before Jesse and Willow left the brothers alone, but eventually it did happen. That meant Speed couldn't just sit back and listen to the teens chat about their daily lives; now he'd have to talk to Xander – see if he'd put up a fight about moving back to Miami or not.

"So…" Speed started awkwardly, unsure of how to discuss any of the thoughts racing through his mind.

"So…" Xander answered just as awkwardly. Then he remembered something that he wanted to ask when he got the chance. The chance was here now, so… "Umm, have the police told you anything about my kidnapping? They told me since I'm _'a child'_, they can't tell me."

Shrugging apologetically, Speed said, "To be honest, I haven't talked to them yet. Came straight here from the airport. I figured I'd talk to them after meeting you and learning more about your medical situation."

Xander nodded in understanding. Actually, it kinda made him feel better about his brother that his first instinct was to come to the hospital instead of the police station. "What did the doctor say earlier when you left the room?"

"Basically just how long it would take to get ready for the marrow transplant, and then how much recovery time before you were ready to move," Speed replied somewhat hesitant on the last word, worried about his brother's reaction.

Sure enough, that last word was the one that Xander fixated on. "Move?" he repeated in confusion – and a little spark of hope. Not that he wanted to leave Jesse or Willow, but quite honestly, he hated Sunnydale. This last thing was just the carrot that squished the Twinkie. (His version of straw/camel/back breaking.)

Speed nodded slowly, "Yeah…back to Miami with me. Mom and Dad died a couple years ago in a car accident."

Trying to keep his voice even, Xander asked, "You want me to go home with you?"

He must have failed miserably because Speed was stunned by the insecurity in his question. "Of course I do! You're my brother!" he declared vehemently, wondering why it was even an issue.

"But I'm not-" Xander cut off, then started to ramble at half-Willow speed, "I mean, Willow's the smart one; Jesse's the talented one; I'm more of the comic relief of the group. And I know that all this cancer stuff will be really expensive, so I'd understand if you didn't-"

Speed leaned over and gently grabbed Xander's good hand. He stared directly into his brother's eyes and repeated his words…slowly and firmly, "You . Are . My . Brother! I don't care if you're a juvenile delinquent; you're family and that's all that matters to me."

Fighting back the tears, Xander whispered, "Thank you." He honestly believed that this guy would love him simply because they shared the same parents; that was something he never had before.

"Always, little brother." Speed figured that Xander was just as uncomfortable with the touchy-feely stuff as he was, so he changed the subject, "Now, the doctor said the prep and recovery could take weeks, possibly months. Because of that, I'd like to get back to Miami before we do it. Plus, my friend Alexx, suggests that we get a second opinion. She's lined up some doctors we can call."

"Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but what about Jesse and Willow?" Xander asked, hoping he wouldn't lose his brother because he was being too demanding.

Speed was actually glad that Xander brought it up. That way, it didn't feel as much like a bribe as if he offered it out of the blue. "Well, I was thinking that I could get you calling cards, a pre-paid cell phone, a computer…whatever way you want to stay in contact with them. Our parents left us some of money so it's not an issue," he added before his brother could ask.

Now came time for the big question. "So when do you want to go?" Xander inquired.

"Let's get you out of the hospital first, then we can worry about travel plans," Speed suggested kindly. "Sound good, Xander?"

"Okay," Xander replied with a nod. Then in true Xander-fashion, his mind flipped to a rather random question. "What was my name before?"

"Even though you'd already been kidnapped, they named you Michael Isaac…for when you came home. If you'd rather be called Xander, though, that's okay by me," Speed quickly assured him.

"Maybe a mixture of the two? Xander Michael?" the younger brother offered.

Speed smiled; so far their first meeting had gone better than he could have hoped for. "Harris or Speedle? Or if you want, we can wait until later to decide."

Xander's answer was immediate and overlapped with the second half of Speed's comment, "Speedle! I don't want anything of that family anymore. Xander doesn't count 'cause that was Jesse and Willow; my given name is Alexander."

* * *

**Sunnydale Mall**

**Next day…**

"So Xander tells me that you're the responsible one of the Three Musketeers," Speed said to get the conversation rolling. Jesse was keeping Xander company at the hospital while he and Willow did some shopping.

Willow blushed at the implied compliment – at least the way Speed was saying it. She supposed it could be kind of an insult taken the wrong way. "He probably just said that because he doesn't know anything about technology – except for video games and TV."

"You ready to spend some of the Speedle money?" he asked, opening the door for her.

"Sure. Umm, first…can I ask which company is _your_ cell provider? The reason is 'cause a lot of the companies don't charge for calls between customers. That way, Xander can call you and call us without having to worry about extra charges," Willow babbled.

Surprisingly, Speed thought he caught all of it that time; maybe it was just something you got used to with experience. "I think my little brother was right about you," he said with a small smile, causing her to blush again. He pointed across the food court area to a kiosk. "There's the booth for my provider over there; let's get some phones for the three of you."

Willow's research had also came up with something else to keep in mind. "Oh, and another idea would be to just put us on your plan with allowances for how many minutes we can use. Since you're Xander's guardian and we're all underage, they probably would be willing to do it for all three of us."

"Never hurts to ask," Speed agreed, thinking his brother had maybe understated his praise of Willow's responsible nature. She was thinking about things that _he_ hadn't even considered.

**

* * *

**

Outside of the computer store

**A little while later…**

Carrying the case which now held Xander's new laptop, Willow finally asked the question she had wanted to ask all day, "So you really are going to take care of Xander, right? I mean, not just for a couple months until you get tired of him, then ignore him?"

Speed put his hand on Willow's shoulder, hoping to reassure her. "I'll take care of him even when we're both grandfathers. I thought I lost my chance to be a big brother after he was kidnapped. Having him back in my life again…words can't describe how…complete it makes me feel."

"Thank you," Willow said through the tears in her eyes.

Somewhat baffled, Speed inquired, "For what?"

"For loving him even though you've just met. I don't think his parents-" Willow stopped to correct herself, "I mean, the Harrises ever really did."

He just smiled at her, not wanting to scare her with the dark thoughts he was having towards the people who had his brother the past 14 years. "Well, I think we should get this computer to the hospital so you can start teaching Xander how to use it. I know the basics, but I get the feeling you could run circles around me when it comes to computers."

Willow nodded in return. Seeing as how he was a cop, she wouldn't tell him about all of her computer skills. "When are you guys leaving?"

"He's supposed to be released by Friday, so I was thinking maybe Sunday afternoon; give the three of you a day or so outside of the hospital to say your goodbyes," he said, getting a blinding smile again from the young girl.

* * *

**TBC…**


	5. Chapter 4: A Fresh Start

**Chapter 4: A Fresh Start**

A/N: The end of this chapter went to a different place than I expected.

Challenge: #1718 'Xander: the lost and found' by marshalos.

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. CSI: Miami characters belong to Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue and CBS. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

**Somewhere in the air**

After many tearful hugs from Willow and manly half-hugs from Jesse, Xander was ready to leave Sunnydale. Speed got a handshake and warning from Jesse and a hug and warning from Willow. Both demanded lots of calls and/or emails from _both_ of them about how Xander was doing in Miami.

During the plane ride, Speed explained his plans to Xander, "First of all, you'll be meeting a couple of my coworkers when we get home. Alexx is our medical examiner, and she's bringing lists of places for us to live and doctors for us to get a second opinion from. She'll also probably have dinner ready…and breakfast, and…well, you see where I'm going with that. Horatio – or as we normally call him, H – will be there to make sure Alexx doesn't mother hen us too much. When you're feeling up to it, I'll introduce you to Calleigh, Eric and Megan," he promised before remembering a couple other people. "Oh, and Frank and Yelina."

"How much have you told them about me?" Xander asked, wondering if he would have to deal with pitying looks for a long time; not because of the illness, but because of the abuse.

Which was something Speed already guessed would be a concern, so he reassured his brother, "I told H that you were sick, but not about the Harrises or what they did to you. I will warn you, though, these people are trained investigators. They could figure it out on their own. If they say or do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, just let me know and I'll have them back off. These people aren't just my coworkers, Xander; they are my friends as well. As much as you trust Jesse and Willow, I trust them."

Xander grinned at the assessment. "You can't get a better comparison than that," he quipped.

"Anyway, depending on how you feel, we'll look at the apartments Alexx gives us over the next few days. By then, we should have an appointment or two set up with doctors. If they say it's okay, I'll get you registered for school once we know where we're going to live. If you can't go back to school right away, I'll get you a tutor so you don't fall behind."

Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Xander choked back his emotions as best he could, then checked, "Are you sure you can afford all this? I'm sure I could make due with sleeping on the couch so you don't have to get a bigger place. Or Willow could tutor me over the phone or internet."

Despite the fact he wasn't considered the warmest of men, Speed proved he had the ability to be when necessary. He turned in his seat so he could put his hand on Xander's shoulder – because holding his hand was too…touchy-feely for either of them – and said, "I told you, our parents left us some money; this isn't any trouble at all."

* * *

**Airport**

After they gathered their luggage, the brothers were surprised to hear somebody calling out to them. Well, Speed was surprised since Xander wasn't used to his new last name and therefore didn't recognize it when the man yelled it.

"H! What are you doing here?" Speed asked of his boss.

"Figured that with your brother and his bags, you would need a ride home," Horatio pointed out. "Do you want me to drive him, or I could drive your motorcycle and you could take the Hummer?"

Speed knew that H was great with kids, but the slightly panicked look on Xander's face made the decision very easy for him. "You take the bike." Both of the older men could almost hear the teen's sigh of relief. Speed sighed, "Guess I'll have to either rent a car or buy one this weekend. I thought about it on the plane ride to California, but then forgot when we came back."

"You have a lot on your mind," Horatio replied in an effort to make his friend feel better. "It's not as if you couldn't have rented a car here when you realized your mistake."

"Good point. Oh…guess I'd better handle the intros," Speed said. "Xander, this is Horatio Caine. He runs the crime lab where I work. H, this is my brother, Xander _Michael Speedle_. Or that will be his name when we officially change it."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Caine," Xander said, shaking the man's hand.

Horatio smiled at the nervous youth and replied easily, "Just call me Horatio…or H, if you feel like it. Now, let's get your things in the Hummer."

* * *

**Speed's apartment**

A short drive later, and the three were back at Speed's studio apartment. Not surprisingly, a certain maternally-driven beauty was waiting for them there.

Because she wasn't sure how the boy would take a stranger grabbing him, Alexx settled for grabbing Speed in a tight hug. He might not appreciate it either, but she didn't care; she needed to hug somebody. "Oh, sweetie, how are you doing?" she fluttered, stroking his hair in a comforting fashion.

Although he had been warned, nothing in Xander's personal experience could prepare him for Alexx Woods. Jessica Harris didn't deserve the title of mom – in more ways than one. Sheila Rosenberg wasn't much better. She wasn't abusive, but Willow's mom went from neglecting her daughter to making the tiniest decisions for her…like clothing choices. It didn't matter that Sheila's choices made Willow a subject of ridicule; something Willow most likely never mentioned to her mother. The only decent mother of their group was Jesse's. Louisa McNally was caring woman. She never minded setting an extra place for either/both of her son's friends at the dinner table. But once the kids hit their teens, she laid off the shows of public affection…for the most part.

She certainly wouldn't have gone as far as the woman currently mauling his brother.

A glance at Horatio confirmed that this wasn't unusual – even if it was slightly amusing to watch.

He was stunned when she turned to him and kept right on gushing, "And you, baby boy, must be Tim's brother. Xander, right?" After receiving a nod as a reply, Alexx couldn't help herself. She carefully, but firmly hugged the astonished teen. "We're going to get you all better, then have the biggest party to celebrate you two finding each other again after all these years!"

Part of him wanted to be embarrassed by her actions, but the show of motherly affection was too much for Xander. To his internal horror, he started crying in her arms.

Speed tried to help by suggesting they go inside for some privacy. After getting Alexx and Xander to the couch, he and H went back to unload the bags, plus the stuff Alexx brought. She simply handed her keys over while she comforted the emotionally exhausted boy. It didn't shock them that by the time they finished, Xander had fallen asleep on her shoulder.

* * *

**TBC…**


	6. Chapter 5: A Second Chance

**Chapter 5: A Second Chance**

A/N: This is short, but I've been stuck on this chapter for the longest time. Hopefully now that I've gotten past this one, the rest will come easier. Let me know if there are particular episodes from CSI: Miami that you'd like me to play with (aside from the obvious _'Lost Son'_ where Speed dies).

Timeline change for CSI: Miami: _'Tinder Box'_ took place at the beginning of season 1, not the end.

Challenge: #1718 'Xander: the lost and found' by marshalos.

Thanks to my beta: LadySybyl.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. CSI: Miami characters belong to Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue and CBS. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

**Speed and Xander's new apartment**

**A few months later…**

Even after his rather embarrassing introduction to Alexx when he broke down in tears, Xander wanted to build a shrine to the woman for being one of the greatest human beings he had ever known. Okay, so part of that was because of his new diagnosis – something that wasn't directly her doing – but she _was_ the one who suggested the doctors for him to see, so he was more than willing to give her the credit.

He couldn't remember the name of his new condition, but there had been several cases where it was misdiagnosed as leukemia. It had something to do with humid conditions, which was why the doctors didn't test for it in Sunnydale – where it was usually dry – but they did in Miami – where it felt like he was in a steam bath at times…even this early in the fall.

Although it was still involved, the treatment for this new thing was a lot easier than leukemia. There weren't even any blood transfusions or bone marrow transplants involved.

While he wasn't excited to get back to school right away, Xander admitted he'd put up with more school days if it meant he got to live.

Xander was almost sure that if he had muted the phone, he still would have heard Willow's squeal of glee when she found out about the mistake from the three thousand miles or so they were separated. Jesse was only slightly less exuberant about it.

Speed's team was pretty pumped, too. He got to meet the whole group when they threw a 'Misdiagnosed/Housewarming' party for the two brothers. Eric was like the cool uncle-type and promised to take him diving when his treatment was over. Frank was okay, but a little too old for Xander to feel connected to. He almost drooled over the female members – was there a rule about attractive people in that department or something? – but personality-wise, he liked Calleigh the best. Yelina and Megan felt a little standoff-ish to him.

Their new apartment was at least twice as big as Speed's old place. That was understandable since he had a studio before and now they had a two bedroom/two bathroom townhouse. Xander worried about the major price increase that his brother had to pay now, but Speed assured him again that it wasn't a problem.

It was closer to the crime lab so now Speed didn't have to commute as far. On the weekends, Speed showed him which buses to take to get to the mall and the beach…just in case he wanted to get out of the apartment and Speed was working on a case.

Speaking of cases, he needed to get back to emailing Willow and Jesse about one that gave his brother some restless nights.

* * *

_Flashback…_

It was a normal night for Xander. Speed came home from work, spent some time with Xander, then at Xander's insistence accepted an invite from Eric to go to a club. Xander promised to do his homework, then head to bed at eleven if the guys weren't back – which he didn't expect them to be.

He was a little surprised when he woke up and didn't see any signs that Speed came home. It made him wonder if his older brother would make a habit of hooking up with women and not coming home without calling. Before he left, he decided to check if there was anything wrong.

Before he could get more than his greeting out, Speed started rambling, "Oh god! I forgot to call and let you know I wouldn't be home! There was a fire at the nightclub we went to and we sort of went straight to work, helping the victims and preserving the scene. Before you ask, both Eric and I are okay, but some people did die and a lot more were hurt."

Xander immediately left him off the hook for not keeping him in the loop. "Don't worry about me, you just do your thing. Let me know if there's something I can do to help – even if it's just running for dinner for you guys."

"Thanks, little brother," Speed replied gratefully. "You just concentrate on school and I'll call the house later if I have to work late."

Turned out it was 16 dead and over 50 in the hospital…plus one murder victim found in a back room.

In the end, they found out that the bouncer had tried to set a small fire so he could look like a hero. He wanted to be a firefighter and was turned down by the department because he wasn't impressive enough. Problem was that he forgot that fires are pretty much impossible to control. Especially when dealing with an owner who doesn't take the basic steps to ensure people's safety by installing sprinklers and chaining exit doors… Well, it was a combination of greed and bad luck that turned it into a horrible tragedy.

It was a punch in the gut to Eric and Speed that the man they had been so grateful for during the fire was the reason for all the death and destruction. It was a painful reminder that nobody was above suspicion, not even new friends like Danny Maxwell.

Xander had his work cut out for him to get his brother and 'uncle' out of their funks, but he was more than willing to give it a shot. Some diving with Eric and some story-swapping with Speed…and a practical joke or two on the others did wonders for reminding the CSI crew of the innocence of youth that they were doing their jobs to protect. If he hadn't already had a place in their hearts by being Speed's little brother, Xander earned one by helping to alleviate their melancholy with his antics.

_End of flashback…_

* * *

The email he got back from his best buds shocked the h-e-double hockey sticks out of Xander. And if he was totally honest, it kind of worried him as well. For some reason, Willow and Jesse decided to give dating each other a shot. They figured that they were already outcasts and pretty much un-dateable to anyone they might be interested in at Sunnydale. Because Xander wasn't there and wouldn't feel like a third wheel, they hoped it wouldn't make things real awkward for the three of them.

Time would tell if they worked out as a couple and/or if their dating affected their relationship with Xander. He hoped it wouldn't.

* * *

A/N: The chapter covers the two main things I wanted, which is showing that Xander was misdiagnosed and that Jesse and Willow got together, so I guess it's a success in that regard.

**TBC…**


End file.
